The Portland daily press. [volume] (Portland, Me.) 1862-1921, 1887-09-28
BEATEN IN LIGHT WINDS.
Fleet Volunteer Sails Away from
Her Scotch Competitor,
And Wins the Race With Nineteen
Minutes to Spare.
Tens Of Thousands Witness the Ex
citing Contest Of the Yachts.

New YORK. Sept. 27.-Half the battle for
the Americas cup was won TODAY. The
Volunteer defeated thu Thistle by 10 min
utes, 23a seconds, over the 3S mile course Of
the New York Yacht Club. 1t was general
ly understood that the Thistle was to be
feared in light breeze. but today's race has
shown conclusiyely that the Volunteer is
more than match for her.
In the early morning. the fog enyeloped
the harbor and there was little or no wind
but by 1915 the fog had nearly disappeared.
the shores being still somewhat obscured by
ailight haze.The sun shone bright and warm.
SO warm, indeed, as to make a little shade
desirable. The water was smooth, lust
gently broken by the little ripples. Every
moment the welcome southerly .breeze grew
stronger.
Such fotilla Of steamers and sailing
craft were never seen before in New York
Bay. 1t is estimated that $4,000 people wit
messed the race from the decks. So eager
were the captains to give the passengers
good view they ran the risk of collision
with each other and seriously, in some cases
shamefully, imDeded the progress of the
racers.
Secretaries Whitney, Bayard and Fair
child, Capt. Henry Exlien, u. s. NJ, Lieut..
Z. L. Zalinski, Chief Justice Van Brunt,
George A. Ingraham, and a number of
gentlemen prominent In New York society
were the guests of Commodore Gerry on
board the flagship, which had been placed
at the disposal of the regatta committee as a
judges boat. Members Of the Americas
cup committee were also on board.
Before IL 80 there was great open circle
fhn In ,fxaa g xx,1.f fol,
the starting line. The buoy was at one side
Of this open sea, and the flagship Electra at
the other. The Electra's new steam launch
ran about. everywhere carrying instructions
and warnings.
The preparation gun was fired from the
flagship at 1920. The Thistle got under way
first, and astonshed the spectators by the
way she slipped through the water with
scarcely any wind Captain Barr slipping
her through perfect maze Of steamboats,.
which had Just secured the weather position
close under the Long sIsland shore, was
on the port tack close hauled. The Volun-
teer, three lengths astern, was on her lee
quarter. Down they came for the imaginary
line both carrying exactly the same sail,
mainsail, club tOpsail, foresail. jib and jib
topsail. Capt. Barr, .at the Thistles' long
tiller, shot the cutter over the line first at
1896, the Volunteer following under Capt.
Hairs guidance at 12.34.5S4 1t was impossi-
BILE to see the Narrows for the feet of steam
ers and sailing crafts, but the yachts worked
down against the flood tide cleverly.
AT 1888 the Thistle tackled to starboard
and minute later the Volunteer went about,
the cutter following suit at once to try to
prevent Capt. Half from crossing his bow,
for the white sloop had been catching her
from the start. Another minute shout
went up. We've got her," as both tackled
again and the Volunteer was seen to be on
the cutters weather quarter Capt Els
worth "out-generalled Barr in the first ten
minutes. On they went for the Narrows,
each of the cutters main sails tapping all
the time In spite Of all the ''pinching" the
skipper could do, the Volunteer steadily drew
away, both running gauntlet of steamboats,
that persisted in remaining in the channel in
spite OF the repeated warnings from the
Electra and the police boat patrol. Four
tacks brought both clear of the various craft,
the Volunteer passing Fort Lafayette at d,
m, and the Thistle at LOS. The guns from
the fort doomed their salutes. OFF Cony
Island point, at 1.22, the Volunteer had
light and variable and at times the Thistle
was becalmed, while the Boston sloop forged
ahead, Capt. Half seeming to steer her where
the puffs came oftenest.
AT 1.33 she went about In four minutes
round she came again. holding on to this
tack (starboar0 for p minutes before tack
ing again. Then she was over mile in the
lead. The breeze swung round to the South
east, oreeZlng up little. Like an arrow
she slipped away for buoy 10. luffiing around
amid apandemonium of steam whistles and
cheers, at 2.21.03. Buoy 81 Southwest Spit.
was turned by the Volunteer at 227.45, and
by the Thistle at 2.36.45. From here to the
lightship the Volunteer walked right along
at rattling gait increasing her lead till off
cuoy she was two miles ahead. The This
tie was badly handicapped in this reach by
the backwash from the steamers, rendered
dsoubly bad by the food tide setting against
her.
The lightship was turned as follows:
Volunteer, 3.42.l2; Thistle, 4.01.15.
With her boom to starboard, the Volunteer
came swiftly back to the Hook and almost
reached the buoys before her rival had
rounded the lightship. 1t was a procession
now and not a race. The VolunteerIr0unded
buoy 81 at 1880, gibed to port, set her
spinnaker to starboard amid another deafen-
ing cheer and chorus of whistles, and ac-
companed by nearly SEQ vessels, the Boston
sloop swept majestically down to the finish
at buoy 15, between two long lines reaching
from buoy 10 to the NarrOws The finish
was sight to be remembered. The greet
ing given Gen. Paine, his skipper" and crew
was hearty. Following is the table of the
race.
START. TINIsH.